MEMBERS of a North Ayrshire bowls club have been given the go-ahead for an additional outside drinking area at their premises.

Kilwinning Bowling Club, based in the town's Howgate, applied to the North Ayrshire licensing board for a variation of their licence to allow more space for members to enjoy their drinks at big events.

Director Pauline Cassidy told the board:  “We have a green and permitted drinking area at the front of the veranda, at the front of the clubhouse.

“We have been hosting quite a lot of large events, and we feel we are stopping the amount of events that can come because we do not have the designated areas to allow drinking.

“We want to change the constitution so it is permitted when it is decided upon - not for all the time as we don’t want people walking all the way round with their drinks.

"At the moment there are benches with nowhere to sit your drinks."

She added: “We have 13 paying committee members, and in the ladies' section, 12. We are all bowlers and do collection of glasses at all events for the bar staff and members pick everything up too. 

“For the green area we have plastic tumblers which we used outside and plan to continue doing that.”

There were no objections from the police or NHS Ayrshire & Arran, and the application was granted unanimously.